Customer Loyalty Programs?
 

Some stores have customer loyalty programs - they keep track of your spending then reward you with coupons, rebates, etc when you reach specific spending levels.

What's your opinion on these?

1) Do you take part in any of them?
2) Do they influence you to shop at a certain store or online site?
3) Have you ever gotten a "reward" coupon or other prize from a store? Did you redeem that coupon?
4) Is the entire idea just a waste of time?

I'd like to hear your opinions. Thanks!

I live near Ericas and they have a reward program- They keep track of all the "points" on the computer- all I give them is my phone number- and if you have a reward waiting at check out they ask if you want to use it - I use them when I get them. As for shopping habits if I am out shopping and see something I want but it is not on sale I will wait until I am at Ericas to get it that way I can build up the points . I like that it doesn't require me to keep a card or anything in my wallet :)

The LQS that I shop at has a "Bonus Card" Spend $150.00 and get $20.00 in merchandise. There are a couple of restrictions to that tho. Sale items or any thing you purchase from them when they are a vendor at a show don't count. I've filled a couple of cards with my purchases, so yeah, it does keep me as a customer of them.:)

my supermarket gives 10 cents off on gas for every $50 you spend. Plus they have a pharmacy and for a new scrip it is $1.00 off. SO the last time I got gas I saved $1.50 off times 20 gallons for $30 discount. Not bad. They have me as a very loyal customer - I don't grocery shop any where else.

I have two stores that I go that do it. One gives you on yard of fabric (up to $15) for every 150 in reciepts and you have 2 yrs to use them. The other the computer keeps track of your spending and when you hit 250 of none sale items you get a gift card for $25; I like this one because you don't have to do anything to keep track but I can collect more at the other store since I take alot of thier classes. Why not get all that you can get; you spend enough there.

Yes, it does affect me to some extent. MY Lqs has a punch card and I'm more likely to buy from her then another quilt shop. Same with the gas thing at our super market. Plus they've got a senior discount on Wed..so guess which day we shop?

Otoh, I don't wildly spend just to get something extra, I only buy what I would have or needed anyway.

I have a number of Loyalty cards - the one at my LQS if I spend over $100 you get a $25 discount on anything in the store and I've got one for Fabricland every day you get at least 25% discount on anything in the store and then they have weekends where you get 50% off quilting products. We have one for Panera Bread which we were in on the weekend and they told me we had earned a free lunch item.
I think if you shop at a place often enough its worth while getting the loyalty card. I've also got one for our bookstore similar to Amazon where every time you place an order you get 10-15% off your order, every little bit helps.

We also have several loyalty cards. I use two of the grocery cards frequently. They both offer per gallon gas discounts, better prices on sales items (of course), and one sends rebate checks plus really good coupons quarterly, I think. Because we have a larger family, we get anywhere between $50-$100 back quarterly, so for us it is definitely worth it. They also send out other coupon booklets every so often.

I have two that I use regularly.

One is at a small LQS - the closest shop to my house. It's a punch card and after I fill it I get $25 off. It's not much, but I've turned in 4-5 punch cards over the years.

The other is at a Vac & Sew where I bought my Husky, and is right across the street from my favorite LQS - so needless to say, I don't have to make a special trip. He doesn't carry fabric, but he does carry thread and other notions. I have a thread card there and when I buy 10 spools (any size, brand, etc) I get the 11th spool free. I buy some of my thread from him, but not all.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no ... it's the customer service that keeps me coming back to a particular retailer. The rewards card is a bonus at my favorite shops.